Now in its 12th year—and run by a not-for-profit organization—the festival calls itself a "celebration of the guitar," and keeps the event accessible to all by making more than 90 percent of the shows free. Performances are held all across town—in pubs, libraries, churches, beaches, camper vans, and even the butcher shop.

Clonakilty is a seaside town in the heart of West Cork, and it is internationally renowned for its music scene. Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding lived in Clonakilty for 27 years, and his influence on his adopted home is what drove the founding of the festival.